Meghalaya: Contract workers employed at the Public Works Department declare strike demanding regularisation of their work contracts
18 December 2018: Workers employed on contract basis at the Public Works Department who remained unpaid for over seven months went on an indefinite strike under the banner of Jaintia PWD Muster Rolls Workers and Labour Union demanding implementation of of Meghalaya Regular Casual Worker Scheme, 1996 and a minimum wage starting ₹300 for unskilled work.
Kerala: Ola and Uber drivers return to work after Labour Department’s intervention
15 December 2018: Workers of taxi aggregator services like Uber and Ola who had been on indefinite strike since 27 November 2018 against the new incentive scheme floated by the companies returned to work after the Labour Commissioner directed the app companies to put forth a proposal of fare hike in accordance with the cost of living and fuel price hike in the state, before 30th of December 30th. The companies have been asked to retain the old incentive scheme till the proposed fare hike is finalised and implemented.
Karnataka: Contract Safai Karmcharis in Bengaluru to get timely wages and pay slips after prolonged struggle
13 December 2018: The continued struggle of contract safai workers of Bengaluru against the Municipal Corporation has yielded a major victory for over 1000 workers. The Municipal Corporation has agreed to make salary transfers to the bank accounts of the workers, and to provide them pay slips. The workers were protesting against non-payment of wages for over 3 months because of the contractors who were siphoning off their money.
AAI staff union strikes against central government’s plan to privatise six airports
11 December 2018: Hundreds of Airports Authority of India (AAI) workers went of a three-day relay strike against government’s move to privatise six airports – Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Mangluru, and Thiruvananthapuram. The AAI Employees Union has been opposing Central government’s approval of the proposal to privatise six airports under Public-Private Partnership as it would lead to dilution of people’s resources and exploitation of the rights of workers.
Bihar: Anganwadi and ASHA workers strike for pay hike
7 December 2018: Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) and Anganwadi workers who drew ₹3000 and ₹2,200 were promised a hiked honorarium of ₹4,500 and ₹3,500 respectively, as “Diwali gift” by the Prime Minister. It was also announced that the workers would be brought under schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Prime Minister Suraksha Bima Yojana in the month of September. After the failure of the central government in implementing the provisions, the ASHA, ANM and Aanganwadi workers have launched an indefinite strike starting 1 December 2018 demanding immediate implementation of the hiked pay and inclusion in the health insurance schemes.
Tamil Nadu: Pricol violates collective bargaining agreement targets union members for striking
06 December 2018: More than 300 workers, who returned to work after the company had agreed to their demands in a Labour Commissioner led mediation where it was decided that the company would settle dues of profit sharing, pay bonus to the protesting workers, clear all pending allowances, and assured that there would be no victimisation of workers who went on strike, the management issued transfer orders 302 workers including union leaders to report to work in Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. The Kovai Manila Pricol Thozhilalargal Otrumai Sangam (KMPTOS) led by the All India Central Council of Trade Union (AICCTU) has approached the court against this victimisation and breach of the agreed terms of contract.
NLCIL negotiates with unions, signs wage pact valid of the next 10 years
5 December 2017: Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited signed a long term collective bargaining agreement with the Joint Negotiation Committee of workers which would benefit 10,000 non-executive workers employed by the corporation.
The new agreement will bring a wage hike of 13.5% as fitment benefit with 35% of the running basic pay as common allowance applicable to all those covered under the settlement.
The validity of the wage pact is for 10 years, starting January 1, 2017 as against the previous validity period of 5 years.
